comitan de dominguez: coffee, chaos, and cold mornings

woke up at 6am to the sound of roosters and my own regret. the air was thick with 84% humidity and a temp that said 14°c but felt like someone left the fridge door open. i just checked and it's 14.08°c there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.

first stop: cafe de la parroquia. the barista had a tattoo of a coffee bean wearing a sombrero. i asked if it was local art. she laughed and said, "nah, that's just miguel being miguel." overheard gossip: someone told me that the best tamales in town are sold out by 9am from a lady near the market. went. missed them. story of my life.

walked around the main plaza. the *santo domingo church looked like it was judging me for wearing sneakers. a group of old men were playing dominos and arguing about soccer. classic. if you get bored, san cristobal de las casas and tuxtla gutierrez are just a short drive away.

lunch was at a place called "el fogón de maría." no website, no yelp, just word of mouth and a handwritten menu. i had the pepita con tasajo and immediately wanted to move here and learn how to cook it. someone told me that the owner once turned down a tv show because she "doesn't want to be famous, just fed." respect.

afternoon: wandered into a bookstore that also sold plants. bought a cactus named "pancho" because the owner said it was "muy tranquilo." not sure if that's a cactus thing or just mexican hospitality. the weather stayed cold, the kind of cold that makes you crave champurrado and regret not packing a scarf.

ended the day at a bar called la puerta del sol*. live band playing boleros. i didn't understand the words but i felt them. a guy next to me said, "if you want to see the real comitan, come back at 2am." i didn't. maybe next time.

this town doesn't try to impress you. it just is. and somehow, that's more impressive.

links for the curious:
- cafe de la parroquia reviews
- san cristobal travel guide
- chiapas tourism board

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